Thousands rally in Manila over corruption scandal that implicated top Philippine officials – Firstpost

Thousands of people gathered in the Philippine capital on Sunday to kick off a three-day rally organized by a religious group to demand accountability over a flood control corruption scandal that has implicated powerful members of Congress and top government officials.

It is the latest show of outrage over allegations of widespread corruption in flood-control projects in one of the world’s most hurricane-prone countries, which have flared up in recent months following the discovery that thousands of flood defense projects across the country were built with substandard materials or did not exist at all.

Construction companies were accused of paying huge bribes to dozens of influential politicians and officials to secure lucrative contracts and avoid accountability for discrepancies in projects.

Police estimated that 27,000 members of the Iglesia ni Cristo, or Church of Christ, gathered at Rizal Park in Manila before noon, many of them wearing white and carrying anti-corruption placards, for the afternoon demonstration. Other groups were scheduled to hold a separate anti-corruption protest at the “People Power” monument in suburban Quezon City on Sunday.

The Iglesia is an influential group that votes as a bloc and is supported by political candidates during elections.

According to a confidential security assessment seen by The Associated Press, police backed by the military went on full alert and deployed thousands of personnel to protect the weekend rally, although the government expected the weekend rallies to be peaceful.

During an anti-corruption protest on 21 September, a few hundred black-clad protesters threw stones, bottles and firebombs at policemen near the Rashtrapati Bhavan, injuring more than 100 officers. Criminal complaints have been filed against 97 protesters.

National police chief Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartez Jr. ordered law enforcement to exercise “maximum tolerance” at Sunday’s rallies.

Flood control is a particularly sensitive issue in the Philippines, one of the Asian countries most affected by deadly typhoons, floods and extreme weather. Two typhoons this month killed at least 259 people, mostly from flash floods and landslides, while millions more were forced to evacuate their homes.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is trying to quell public outrage and street protests over the scandal, saying on Thursday that several powerful senators, members of Congress and wealthy businessmen involved in the scandal would be in jail by Christmas.

Marcos said an independent fact-finding commission he created has already filed criminal complaints of corruption and plunder against 37 suspects. Criminal complaints have also been filed against 86 construction company executives and nine government officials for alleged evasion of approximately 9 billion pesos ($152 million) in taxes.

The accused also include Marcos’ opponents and lawmakers associated with him, including former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez, the president’s cousin and a key aide; and former Senate President Chiz Escudero. Both have denied any wrongdoing.

Senator Bong Go, a key ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has also been accused of involvement in corruption in flood control and other infrastructure projects. He has denied the allegations.

Duterte, a harsh critic of Marcos, was detained by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands in March for alleged crimes against humanity stemming from his brutal anti-drug crackdown.

His daughter, the current vice president, said Marcos should also be held accountable and jailed for approving the 2025 national budget, which appropriated billions for flood control projects.

There have been separate calls, including from some pro-Duterte supporters, for the military to withdraw support from Marcos, but General Romeo Browder Jr., chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, has repeatedly rejected those calls.

“With full confidence, I assure the public that the armed forces will not engage in any action that violates the Constitution. Not today, not tomorrow and certainly not on my watch,” Browder said Friday. The military “remains steadfast in maintaining the peace, supporting legitimate civil expression, and protecting the stability and democratic institutions of the Republic.”